Mexico City’s Congress has voted to ban traditional bullfights.
The ban on Tuesday, March 18, of what Congress calls “violent bullfights” brings in “new rules with immediate effect that ban the killing of bulls inside or outside the ring,” a press release from Humane World for Animals Mexico reads.
The legislation, approved by a 61-1 vote, also bans the “infliction of physical injury such as stabbing animals with sharp objects like swords or spears.”
Additionally, animals involved in bullfights will no longer be exempt from animal protection laws under the ban. The release added that Mexico City’s bullfighting bulls will have full legal protection from abuse.
The Associated Press reported that the ban, part of an initiative dubbed “bullfighting without violence,” also limits the time bulls can be in the ring for the contests.
Animal rights charities and activists welcomed the ban.
Anton Aguilar, executive director of Humane World for Animals Mexico, said that although the move is not a “complete ban” on bullfighting in Mexico City, it is “an important step toward eradicating the torment and killing of animals for entertainment and a stronger commitment to compassion in our society.”
“Bulls will no longer be subjected to the brutal cruelty of being repeatedly stabbed and ultimately killed in the ring, which is something we welcome. We welcome, too, the clear acknowledgment by the Mexico City government that traditional bullfights are inherently violent and socially unacceptable,” Aguilar continued in a statement, per the release, noting that “a bull event without violence does not mean one without suffering.”
“Bulls will still be subjected to the stress of being transported, entering a noisy bullring, and being goaded to charge the matador’s red cape or ‘muleta,'” the release added.
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has spoken in support of the initiative proposed last week by Clara Brugada, Mexico City’s head of government, per the release.
Bullfighting in Mexico City, which differs from Spanish bullfighting, was suspended in the capital in May 2022 by a judge.
However, that decision was overturned by the Supreme Court of Justice in December 2023, according to the release. The AP reported that the ban was overturned without explanation.
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After the decision was overturned, Mexico City’s 2024 nine-day bullfight season saw a total of 54 bulls killed, per the release.
According to Humane World for Animals Mexico, approximately 180,000 bulls are killed in bullfights annually around the world.
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